Actor Ananya Raj dies at 35, family confirms news in statement: 'She fought like a warrior'

Nearly a month after her death, the family of actor Ananya Raj has confirmed she died on July 15, at age 35. Raj, recognised for her roles in Bollywood films including 7 Hours to Go (2016), The Final Exit (2017) and Ghost (2019), had reportedly been coping with both physical and mental health struggles for more than a year before her death.

The announcement came via a note posted to her Instagram account on Sunday, in which her family revealed she died in her sleep, describing her passing as peaceful.

The note, posted by her family, read in full: "This is Ananya's family. With great pain, we have to announce that Ananya passed away in the wee hours of 15th July. She passed away peacefully in sleep. For over a year she was going through physical and mental scomfort. And she fought like a warrior to overcome them."

They continued with a personal tribute: "She was a strong spirited girl and lived like a Queen. Bachcha, your absence will be dearly felt. We urge all of you to pray for her soul. And In these trying times, We wish to maintain privacy and quietitude."

A career beyond Bollywood

Raj entered the film industry with her 2016 Bollywood debut, 7 Hours to Go, followed by roles in The Final Exit (2017) and Ghost (2019). Though she wasn't attached to a large number of high-profile projects, her work extended beyond Hindi cinema into regional film industries — she appeared in the Telugu film Thaggede Le and the trilingual production Madrasi Gang.